In Lesson 6 of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki highlights a powerful yet overlooked principle: the rich work to learn, not just to earn. This chapter builds on the earlier lessons by emphasizing the importance of developing broad, transferable skills rather than chasing paychecks.
Kiyosaki recalls how his Rich Dad taught him to acquire knowledge in different fields—sales, marketing, leadership, investing, accounting—not because these jobs offered high wages, but because they developed essential skills that would make him financially free in the long run.
“The more specialized you become, the more you are trapped and dependent on that specialty.”
Rich Dad advised that professionals who focus solely on excelling in one technical area often struggle financially because they lack the comprehensive financial knowledge needed to control their money and their future. In contrast, financially successful people are those who actively learn how money works and pursue skills that open multiple avenues for income.
Why Most People Stay Stuck in the Rat Race
Kiyosaki describes how most employees fall into a predictable pattern:
They get a job → work hard → earn a paycheck → spend it → hope for a raise → repeat.
All the while, fear of losing income and the desire for job security keep them trapped.
Many people chase job promotions and higher salaries, mistakenly believing that income alone ensures financial security. Kiyosaki warns that even those with high-paying jobs can remain financially vulnerable if they don’t learn to manage money and build cash-flowing assets.
He stresses that many highly educated professionals — like doctors, lawyers, and accountants — earn impressive incomes but remain financially dependent because they were taught to work for money, not to have money work for them.
Key Lessons from Rich Dad in This Chapter:
- Learn skills, not job titles. Focus on learning skills in areas like marketing, communication, people management, investing, and law.
- Avoid the trap of specialization. Specialists often make decent money but can be easily replaced or downsized and have fewer financial options.
- The rich acquire financial intelligence. Money comes and goes — those who understand how to control money, investments, and businesses build lasting wealth.
- Always expand your financial vocabulary. Kiyosaki explains that a lack of financial literacy is what keeps people poor or middle class, even if their salaries increase.
- Fear and greed are the biggest obstacles. Most people work out of fear of losing money and greed for more money — this blinds them from learning how money works.
Real-life Insight from Kiyosaki’s Experience
He shares that in his own career, he intentionally worked in different industries — selling Xerox copiers, managing restaurants, learning investing — not because these jobs paid the most, but because they provided valuable lessons he could later use in his own business ventures.
Kiyosaki argues that financial education does not come from traditional schooling or job training; it comes from learning through doing. It’s the practical, cross-disciplinary knowledge that empowers individuals to seize opportunities others miss.
Detailed Takeaways:
- Make a list of skills you don’t have but need to build financial independence.
- Take jobs or side projects that teach you sales, marketing, public speaking, investing, and leadership.
- Learn how to read financial statements, manage assets, and understand tax laws.
- Recognize the emotions of fear and desire in yourself when making financial decisions, as Kiyosaki stresses those are often what control most people’s lives.
- Understand that learning is a lifetime journey—those who stop learning financially will find themselves working harder for diminishing returns.
Learning Resources
Intro to Entrepreneurship: Get Started as an Entrepreneur
• Duration: 7 hours
• 4 Downloadable Resources
The Complete Business Plan Course (Includes 50 Templates)
• Duration: 9 hours
• 76 Downloadable Resources
Entrepreneurship: How To Start A Business From An Idea
• Duration: 13 hours
• 89 Downloadable Resources
